Day 1 - Arush, Lake Manyara
Depart from Arusha after lunch, driving to Lake Manyara National Park. Overnight at the spectacularly located Manyara Serena hotel on a full board basis.

Lying in a shallow depression at the base of the Rift Valley escarpment, the scenic Lake Manyara National Park. Most famous for its tree-climbing lions, which drape themselves over branches of umbrella-shaped thorn trees to catch cool breezes, the reserve boasts over 40 species of large mammals and some 380 birds. There are several different types of forests with a variety of fauna - hippopotamuses, giraffes, elephants, zebras, and monkeys just to name a few. From Arusha it is a 3-hour drive to Lake Manyara.

The Lake Manyara Serena Lodge has a dramatic setting overlooking the Great Rift Valley and the beautiful soda lake of Manyara Park. The area is rich in birdlife and from them much of the lodge decoration has been inspired. The Lodge facilities include a swimming pool; spacious, comfortable public areas and a restaurant and bar - all which take advantage of the breath taking view.

Day 2 - Lake Manyara, Serengeti
Morning game viewing around Lake Manyara. After lunch continue west, to the Serengeti plains with superb views all the way. Two nights at Serengeti Serena Lodge on a full board basis. You will have the chance to visit a local Masai village.

The Masai, a colorful pastoral people, live in the vast open spaces of East Africa's Great Rift Valley. Located in the countries of Kenya and Tanzania, the Masai are survivors of a past era, living much the way their ancestors did centuries ago. The Masai believe that all the cattle on the earth belong to them. In the Masai community, the size of a man's herd and the number of his children determine his status and importance. Masai homes are traditionally built by the women and are constructed of branches woven together with grass and then plastered and sealed with cow dung. Rounded and oblong in shape, the homes are built in a large circle that serves to protect an inner kraal, where the cattle bed down for the night. The entire perimeter is fenced with sharp, thorny branches that protect both the Masai and their cattle from marauding hyenas, leopards, and lions. Tall and slender with fine physical features, the Masai are a handsome people. Their dress is wonderfully colorful. Cloth dyed in vivid shades of red and blue is wrapped loosely over their lithe bodies. Women commonly adorn themselves with great circular platelike beaded collars and headbands of many colors. Arms and ankles may be wound tightly with thick strands of copper coils. Both men and women often elongate their ear lobes by fashioning them with heavy earrings and beaded ornaments. Ocher, a red mineral ground to a fine powder, is frequently mixed with cow fat and artfully applied to the body.

Serengeti Serena Lodge is set high on a hill with breathtaking vistas of a landscape teeming with game. The wildlife defines the Serengeti – countless zebra, buffalo, gazelle, wildebeest, and other species make it their home. Big game feed in full view of the lodge itself. The terrain is the main stage for the great wildebeest migrations, an awesome spectacle involving millions of these beasts. The lodge design is simple but stunning. Inspired by a traditional African village, separate rondavel "huts" house the luxury guest rooms. From the overall impression to the smallest detail, the lodge is rich in local atmosphere created by indigenous handicrafts and art.

The Serengeti National Park is arguably the best-known wildlife sanctuary in the world. "Serengeti" means "endless plains" in the Masai language, and within its boundaries are more than three million large mammals. About 35 species of plains animals can be seen here including the so called "big five" - elephant, rhino, lion (more than 2,000 of them), leopard and buffalo. During the wet season, November to May, most of the plains game congregate in Southern Serengeti, followed by their attendant predators. Some time in May or June the herds migrate North and West in search of water. They remain in North Serengeti and the western corridor during the dry season, July-October, returning South again as the November rains approach. The Wildebeest calving takes place on the short grass plains during late December - early February. In their wake follow the predators; lion cheetah and hunting dogs with vultures circling overhead. Other common species found here include hippo, giraffe, eland, impala and other antelope types, baboons, monkeys and a profusion of almost 500 bird species.

Day 3 - Serengeti
Morning and afternoon game-viewing either along riverine forest or on the grassy plains amongst the Wildebeest herds.

Day 4 - Serengeti-Ngorongoro
Morning game-viewing and lunch in the Serengeti. Afternoon drive to Ngorongoro stopping en route at Olduvai Gorge to see the famous archeological remains. Spend two nights at Ngorongoro Serena Lodge on a full board basis.

The road around the Ngorongoro Crater sits at 2250 metres above sea level and offers breath-taking views. Just as overwhelming is the view from the private terrace of most of the guest and public rooms at the Ngorongoro Serena Lodge. The Ngorongoro Serena is built of local stone and is molded to the contours of the site on the rim of the Crater. The lodge consists of 75 luxury en suite rooms most with private terraces. Cultural events include Masai dancing and celebratory presentations. In the evenings a choir or guitarist performs for the guests' pleasure. At Ngorongoro Serena Lodge visitors co-exist in perfect harmony with the natural environment and the wildlife that inhabits it.

Listed by Unesco as a world heritage site, the incomparable Ngorongoro Crater is the world's largest "caldera". A caldera is the broad, crater-like basin of a volcano formed by the collapse of the central cone. Dominated by cliffs standing some 600 meters high and presenting a sheer drop down to a wide open space of some 264 square km, the crater is one of the most amazing sights seen anywhere. The Crater is home to 25,000 larger mammals, almost half of them zebra and wildebeest. There are also gazelle, buffalo, eland, hartebeest and wart hog. Such vast numbers attract predators a plenty, mainly lion and hyena but also cheetah and leopard. More than 100 species of birds not found in the Serengeti have been spotted here. Countless flamingos form a pink blanket over the soda lakes.

Day 5 - Ngorongoro
A half day game-viewing in Ngorongoro Crater with picnic lunch. A wildlife paradise unequaled in its splendor.

Day 6 - Ngorongoro-Arusha
Return to Arusha, arriving before lunch.